Marilyn Little and West Indie over the Centerpiece Oxer (20A) on the CCi3* course.

Today’s cross-country courses designed by Derek di Grazia at the 2015 Dutta Corp. Fair Hill International (Elkton) proved challenging for many and whittled the fields down to 56 in the CCI2* and 37 in the CCI3*. Two riders who seemed to cruse around the courses however were overnight leaders, William Coleman and Tamra Smith, with both jumping clean and inside the optimum time. Coleman and Tight Lines moved around the course with ease late in the morning to keep the lead in the CCI2*. Smith, who had fallen off her 2-star horse, rocketed Mai Baum around the 3-star course, putting in one of the few double clean rounds of the division to stay in first place for the CCI3*.

Marilyn Little (Frederick) was the first on the three-star course from Maryland, riding RF West Indie, the first of two entries. They moved around the course clean with 5.6 time faults and moved up a few spots into 15th place. Later in the day, Little retired RF Overdressed after a run out late in the course.

Lillian Heard (Poolesville) made it around the three-start course with all three of her entries. Her best ride was aboard LCC Barnaby, who jumped clean and only had 9.6 time faults. They moved up to 23rd place. With FYI, Lillian also jumped clean, adding only 16.8 time faults to their score and moved up to 29th place. Her first ride of the day was with Arundel, who had 20 jump faults and 32.4 time faults, dropping them down to 35th place.

Colleen Rutledge and Escot 6 also had 20 jump faults when the young horse ran past the chevron brush coming out of the coffin at 12C. Quick thinking on Rutledge’s part had them jumping the option for C quickly, thus adding only 15.2 time faults. Even with the faults, they still moved up to 32nd place.

Savannah Fulton (Finksburg) had a great first run at FHI in the CCI3*, jumping around clean and only earning 17.2 time faults with Captain Jack. They moved up the standings considerably and are in 30th place going into tomorrow’s final horse inspection and show jumping phase.

At the end of the 3-star competition today, 37 combinations finished, two were eliminated, six retired on course and four withdrew before starting cross-country. There was one mandatory retirement from a horse falling and six riders fell on course. All horses and riders are fine.

Back in the two-star, Danny Warrington (North East) was the first Maryland rider to take to the course. L’Alezane had a bit of trouble in the “barn yard” with a run out at 7A, the first of two offset brushes. Later on in the course, the pair had another run out heading into the Chesapeake Water at 15A. The mistakes cost Warrington 40 jump and 34.8 time and moved the pair down to 55th place. However, with six eliminations, two riders retiring, two horses falling and six rider falls, just finishing is a big accomplishment at FHI.

Next on the two-star course for Maryland was Colleen Rutledge (Frederick) and Roulette. The pair jumped around clean adding only 1.6 time faults to its dressage score. This moved them up into 20th place.

Just a few riders after Rutledge was Katie Wherley (Middletown) and Mr Indiscretion. They put in the first double clean round for a Maryland pair, moving them up into 24th place.

Tracey Bienemann (Pasadena) and Geoni also jumped around double clean moving up into a tie for 34th place.

Ema Klugman (Washington, DC) had a run out at the corner in the main arena, adding 20 jumping and 9.6 time faults to their score. They still moved up in the standings however finishing the day in 48th place.